Three Warming Lattes That Are Perfect for Fall
I love my morning coffee. It’s my reward for waking up and getting to work. However, I try to limit my coffee intake, especially later in the day. As we get deeper into the fall and winter months, warm drinks are basically a necessity, and there are plenty of tasty brews to satisfy my afternoon craving for something warm and cozy.
Here are three of my favorite coffee-free lattes to drink for a teatime pick-me-up:
The Golden Latte
The golden latte has been popular in the wellness circles for a few years now, and it’s starting to become a coffee shop staple for good reason.
Turmeric (the “gold”) has been used as a natural health remedy for over 5,000, and in India, combining it with milk to make a healing elixir is nothing new.
There are loads of health benefits in turmeric. It is anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial and full of antioxidants. The ginger and cinnamon add even more oomph to this wellness concoction.
Of the three lattes listed here, the golden latte is the only one that’s caffeine free. It’s just as perfect as an afternoon pick-me-up as it is a bedtime wind-down. The warm and spicy flavor it just so nourishing and satisfying. I love it!
Ingredients:
1 cup of your milk of choice
1/2 scant teaspoon dried turmeric
About an inch of fresh ginger (about a ½ teaspoon of juice – see below) or ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of honey or silan*
Method
Peel and grate the ginger on a small grater (such as a microplane); squeeze out the juice and discard the pulp.
Combine all of the ingredients in a small pot (my preference is a Turkish style coffee pot) and heat over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture is frothy but not yet boiling.
Remove from heat and give the milk a little froth using the electric beverage whisk. Pour into a mug and enjoy!
* Silan is date honey. I love it in the golden latte because the caramel like flavor matches the rest of the spices so well.
Matcha Latte
Matcha is a type of green tea that has been enjoyed in China and Japan for 100s of years. Matcha tealeaves are dried and ground into a powder. Instead of steeping the leaves, we actually drink the powder, which is mixed into either water, or in this case, “milk.”
Matcha has all of the same great benefits as a cup of green tea (loads of polyphenol antioxidants, such as EGCG, which offer protection against cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis and neurodegenerative diseases). We may even absorb more of the nutrients from matcha because we consume the entire leaf.
Matcha does have caffeine, however, it’s released in our bodies at a much slower rate than caffeine from coffee. Meaning, we won’t experience a spike and crash like we do with coffee (it’s a steadier caffeine fix).
Ingredients:
1 cup of your milk of choice
1 tablespoon of hot water
1 teaspoon of good quality matcha powder
1-2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup
Method
Add the hot water to a mug and combine with the matcha powder using an electric beverage whisk.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small pot over medium heat. You want the milk frothy, but not boiling. Once heated, stir in sweetener. If you’d like, give the milk a little extra froth with the electric milk frother.
Pour the milk over the matcha mixture. Give it a few gentle stirs and enjoy!
Chai Latte
The chai latte is like the originally coffee alternative. This spicy brew has been popular for years. Sadly, now that the golden and green lattes have exploded in popularity, the chai has kind of been, well, forgotten about… So I’m brining it back!
Chai tea is one of those traditional recipes that every family makes differently, and then debates about whose chai is better. So… this is my recipe, which I do a bit differently because I add the tea bag directly to the milk. The flavor is more creamy and mild than a traditional chai.
Ingredients
1 cup of your milk of choice
6-7 cardamom pods smashed (give them a good smash so they really release a pop of flavor)
2 whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 inch of fresh ginger (about a ½ teaspoon of juice – see the golden latte for directions)
½ teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
1 bag of strong black tea
½ – 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
Method
In a small pot, toast the spices over medium heat until fragrant (about a minute). Add the ginger and milk and bring to a low boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes (I’ll usually do the dishes or tidy up the kitchen during this time).
Return to heat, bring back to a simmer.
Add the tea bag; remove from heat and let sit for another 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag, squeezing any excess liquid out of the bag. Add the sugar and stir. Pour the mixture through a strainer to remove the spices.
Pour into a mug and enjoy!
Although I love all three of these drinks, I especially love the warm, milky, spicy flavors of the chai and golden lattes; they just taste so good!
What’s your winter beverage of choice? Which kind of latte do you love?
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